My Cheating Mate (Emma and Jeremy) novel Chapter 99

Chapter gu

My Cheating Mate

Jeremy pov

The hospital room was too quiet except for the steady beep of monitors. My father lay motionless in the bed. his chest rising and falling with mechanical precision thanks to the ventilator they’d had to put in three hours ago.

The wounds had been worse than the field doctor initially thought. Internal bleeding. Collapsed lung. Damage to his spine that had the medical team concerned about permanent paralysis.

My father–the strongest man I knew, the Alpha who’d led our pack for thirty years—might never walk again. Might never shift. Might never be the same.

And it was my fault.

My plan. My strategy. My decision to strike early with vampire allies.

I’d told him it would work. Promised the casualties would be minimal. Fifteen dead, I’d said, like that was acceptable. Like fifteen lives lost was a victory.

I pressed my face into my hands, exhaustion and guilt threatening to overwhelm me.

*“You lead now,“* he’d said on the battlefield. *“Finish this.“*

I’d finished it. Killed the mercenary leader. Destroyed Black River. Ended the threat.

But the cost-

The door opened. I looked up, expecting a doctor or nurse with another update.

Instead, Lord Castellan himself stood in the doorway. 1

He was nothing like I’d imagined. The vampire lord was tall but not imposing, dressed in a simple dark suit that somehow managed to look both casual and expensive. His face was ageless–could have been thirty or three hundred, impossible to tell. Dark hair, darker eyes, and an expression of mild curiosity as he studied me.

“Jeremy Trent,” he said, his voice the same smooth tone from our phone call. “You look terrible.”

I stood immediately, aware I was covered in dried blood, my clothes torn, my hair matted with god knows what. “Lord Castellan. I didn’t expect-”

“A personal visit?” He moved into the room with unnatural grace, his gaze settling on my father’s unconscious form. “I wanted to see for myself. To assess whether my investment was worthwhile.”

“Investment?” The word came out sharper than I intended.

“You, young wolf. I agreed to help in your battle in exchange for a future favor. Now I’m here to see if you survived well enough to pay that debt, or if I wasted twelve of my warriors on a lost cause.” He tilted his head. “Your father is in critical condition, I see.”

“He’ll recover.” I moved protectively toward the bed, though what I thought I could do against a vampire lord, I had no idea.

“Will he? Your doctors don’t seem so certain. Spinal damage, they’re saying. Potential permanent paralysis.” Lord Castellan’s expression remained neutral. “That would make you Alpha sooner than expected.”

“That’s not — I don’t want – “I couldn’t finish the sentence. The thought of taking over because my father was crippled made

me sick.

“What you want is irrelevant. What matters is duty.” He moved closer to the bed, studying my father with clinical interest.”

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Alpha Richard is a good leader Strong Fair. It would be a shame if he spent his remaining years unable to walk, unable to shift, unable to fully enjoy life.”

“Is there a point to this?” Anger bled through my exhaustion, “Are you here to gloat To remind me that I made a deal with you?

“No. I’m here to collect my first payment.”

The words made my blood run cold. “Now? You’re calling in the debt now?”

“Not the entire debt. Just–a down payment, shall we say.” He turned his full attention to me. “Jeremy Trent, here is what I require: Allow me to heal your father.” 1

I stared at him, processing the words. “What?”

“I am, among other things, a healer. It’s a rare gift among vampires, but I possess it. I can repair the damage to your father’s spine, restore his ability to shift, ensure he makes a full recovery.” He paused. “In exchange, you will agree to one additional condition when I call in the full debt.”

“What condition?”

“I don’t know yet. But when I decide what I want from you, you’ll agree to one extra stipulation beyond the original favor.” His smile was cold. “Think of it as interest on a loan.”

My mind raced. He was offering to heal my father–to fix permanent damage that modern medicine couldn’t touch–in exchange for making my future debt even bigger.

“Why?” I asked. “What’s in it for you? Why would you care if my father walks again?”

“Because watching you suffer guilt over his condition would be tedious. I prefer my debtors functional and focused, not drowning in self–recrimination.” He moved toward the door. “You have sixty seconds to decide. After that, the offer expires and your father’s fate rests with your doctors.”

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